#Bajrangi #Bhaijaan

Retaliation by logical dissection

By Dr. Sohail Ansari

Conceived and worded by DR Sohail Ansari (originality of concepts and originality of words).

He believes that there can never be a zero scope for improvement and appreciates criticism if it is not for the sake of criticism

(Audience are the crux of the mass communication process; they are in a sense the media’s raison d’etre. Media cease to exist if media cease to appeal to the penchant and fondness of audience; the content of media is, therefore, tailored to the tastes and predilections of audience. Audience like programs for the things they like already; however, the movies made for propaganda blend artfully the message that is so subtle that it cannot be rejected because of the realization on the part of intended audience of its implications. Audience like movie for the things they like already, and the message is insidiously internalized. Bajrangi Bhaijaan is the subliminal movie that treats its audience as vegetables in the media cooker and succeeds to elicit zombielike obedience. The movie has wormed its way into the social and cultural life of Pakistan; it supplants security apparatus of Pakistan by its hero into the favor of the people of Pakistan so to accomplish its objective of proving that no ideological and cultural schism within both countries exists; differences, if there is any, are no more than sibling rivalry; people of both countries are on the same page; therefore division through border is artificially and unjustly created by the Muslim leadership.

This movie, however, does not run counter to the two-nation theory as erroneously asserted. The basic thesis of two-nation ideology underscores religion as the unifying denominator and the primary identity of Muslim in the South Asian subcontinent rather than ethnicity and language or other commonalities. Muslim and Hindus can help each other despite being two distinct nations.) 

  

 Bajrangi Bhaijaan: Movie Review

Bajrangi Bhaijaan is the moving story of Pavan's quest to unite the child with her parents against all odds. Set against the backdrop of colourful Chandni Chowk, the film travels from the heartland of Punjab, through the deserts of Rajasthan, over the snow-capped mountains of Kashmir

Bajrangi Bhaijaan tells the story of how Pavan, who will move heaven and earth to fulfil the promise he made to the girl from across the border. It's a man - (Pavan / Bajrangi) on mission story about a little girl from Pakistan lost in India and how she is reunited with her country and family with the help of Bajrani Bhaijaan.’’

Logical dissection

·         Hero is on the ‘noble mission’: delivering girl back to mother; the problem is that security apparatus of Pakistan (police/law-enforcement agency) have no idea of it or to put it in other words have no belief in it; but the viewers/audience of movie are deeply convinced of the noble intentions of hero as they know the story. This absolute ignorance or absolute disbelief on the part of security apparatus stand in sharp contrast to the absolute knowledge and belief of the viewers of a movie. This contrast is important to paint the Pakistani authorities in a dark corner and to construct the image of theirs as the devil incarnate; and to project the hero as the embodiment of virtues. The viewers naturally identify themselves with a hero without feeling that how could the authorities in Pakistan know and believe that the hero is on the noble mission? He could very possibly be on the evil mission.

·         ‘Lost people’ is a common problem as the large number of people from the both sides of the border often visit their relatives and holy places, and as the ‘lost people’  is the recurrent problem; mechanism does exists to address it, and in addition, there are various NGOs to help people to reach their homes. Hero should have followed the advice of the elder of family and managed to hand over a girl to Pakistani embassy. 

·         What treatment an individual carrying a girl from Pakistan to India in the same fashion most likely to have? Definitely the same treatment. Indian authorities would not be different in their treatment, and should not be, because of the relationship between two countries. Even the relationships between two countries are amicably cordial, such practice cannot be encouraged as then people would need only a girl not a visa to justify their crossing the border.

·         People on a bus and journalist appear to be gullibly innocent. Man from India succeeds without any problem to win their trust. How do all these people know that hero is really on a noble mission? While in fact there are many competing possibilities: a person is a spy using a girl as the human shield to protect himself; a person is assigned the mission to reach the highly-valued target, and he is using girl as the tool to gain the sympathies of people; a man is involved in human-trafficking.

·         Spies do not cross border in the way hero does. Spies are provided the safe passages and every possible measure is taken to ensure their safety as they are the bearers of sensitive information. The way hero enters in Pakistan is in itself the proof that he could be anyone but a spy (and latter in a movie an officer calls his superior and says: ‘Sir, this fellow cannot be a spy’ and then despite the contrary order he releases hero). The non-spy status of hero could have easily been established, if hero had not beaten police officer and run away; these actions of his lead logically to a belief that he could not be anyone  but a spy; but the journalist accompanies hero and helps him a great deal without any proof of the real intentions of a hero. Molvi shab (the Muslim religious scholar); journalist; people on the bus choose to support an Indian who has crossed a border in violation to all the laws of state against the law-enforcement agencies of Pakistan. If the pundit (religious scholar of Hindus) and people of India support a Pakistani who has crossed the border in violation to the laws of Indian state; they all would be tried for the treason. People of Pakistan are patriotic; and they would definitely be reporting or handing over these people to concerned authorities so that the purpose of visit could be established through thorough investigation. People of both countries often cross border because of mistakes and are arrested, investigated and then helped out if authorities find no wrong with them. 

·         The difference between Hindu and Muslim are of fundamental nature and this explains the creation of Pakistan. Molvi shab allows a Hindu into mosque saying a sentence that implies ‘no difference exists between Hindu and Muslim’. Non Muslim cannot be allowed in a mosque and surprisingly a religious scholar does not know it.

·         Molvi shab is the resident of a small town; and people of small town know each other; it is not possible for molvi shab to carry three unknown people along with without people inquiring about them.

·         The finding of mother is absolutely coincidental; this ‘noble mission’ is in fact the mission impossible: how can one individual find the home of a girl in country unaided? The nature of mission itself justifiably raises doubts; and the reaction of police is rational and logical.

·         The finding of mother is coincidental; but the name of movie is well-planned that has strong symbolic implications and religious connotations. Hero is the living personification (has a strong frame and strongly built body) of Hindu god Hanuman who acts throughout movie as the elder brother (Bhaijaan) ; a god motivated by the noble need to help adversary (Pakistani girl) who even does not believe in him. Audience feel, in the end, the debt of gratitude they owe to Hanuman and feel more inclined to love to love instead love to hate deities.

·         Pakistan military follows orders, and would resist to any attempt in violation to the instruction they have; soldier caves in to mob-pressure; while there was none as people had not entered into quarrel with soldiers and permits the opening of gates (artificial means to separate people of two different countries those are, as the matter of fact, are not different).

·         Everyone appears to be either listening about the ‘great accomplishment of the great mission’ or watching Bajrani Bhaijaan victorious against all odds. People can listen or watch simultaneously, if everyone is in anticipation of something. Victory of Bajrani is a sort of breaking news; it is not the news of anticipation; but the way all people are listening or watching it, it seems to be the news eagerly waited for.